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Start Preamble
December 22, 2005.

Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Act”),[1]
and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,[2]
notice is hereby given that on November 25, 2005, the Boston Stock Exchange, Inc. (“BSE” or “Exchange”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) the proposed rule change as described in Items I, II, and III below, which Items have been prepared by the BSE. On December 20, 2005, BSE filed Amendment No. 1 to the proposed rule change.[3]
The Commission is publishing this notice to solicit comments on the proposed rule change, as amended, from interested persons.

I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance of the Proposed Rule Change

The Exchange proposes to amend the rules of the Boston Options Exchange (“BOX”) to clarify the information contained in a “Directed Order” on BOX. The text of the proposed rule change is available on the BOX's Web site (http://www.bostonoptions.com), at the principal office of BOX, and at the Commission's Public Reference Room.

In its filing with the Commission, the BSE included statements concerning the purpose of, and basis for, the proposed rule change and discussed any comments it received on the proposed Start Printed Page 77208rule change. The text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in Item IV below. The BSE has prepared summaries, set forth in Sections A, B, and C below, of the most significant aspects of such statements.

1. Purpose

BSE seeks to clarify the information contained in a “Directed Order” on BOX. Market Makers are able to handle orders on an agency basis directed to them by Order Flow Providers (“OFPs”). In Chapter I, Section 1 of the BOX Rules, a Directed Order is defined as a Customer order directed to a Market Maker by an OFP. An OFP sends a Directed Order to BOX with a designation of the Market Maker to whom the order is to be directed. BOX then routes the Directed Order to the appropriate Market Maker. Under Chapter VI, Section 5(c)(ii) of the BOX Rules, a Market Maker only has two choices when he receives a Directed Order: (1) Submit the order to the PIP process; or (2) send the order back to BOX for placement onto the BOX Book.

The BSE proposes to amend Chapter V, Section 14(e) and Chapter VI, Section 5(c)(i) of the BOX Rules to clarify that unlike all other orders submitted to the BOX Trading Host, Directed Orders are not anonymous.[4]
The Options Participant identification number (“Participant ID”) of the OFP sending the Directed Order will be revealed to the Market Maker recipient. The Market Maker must submit this Participant ID to BOX whenever the Market Maker chooses to submit the Directed Order and his Primary Improvement Order to the PIP process. However, once the Directed Order is submitted to the PIP process or the BOX Book, the Participant ID is not shown to any market participant and the identity of the OFP will be anonymous pursuant to Chapter V, Section 14(e) of the BOX Rules.

Chapter VI, Section 5(c)(i) of the BOX Rules prohibits a Market Maker from rejecting a Directed Order. The BSE wishes to clarify that upon systematically indicating its desire to accept Directed Orders, a Market Maker that receives a Directed Order is not permitted, under any circumstances, to reject the receipt of the Directed Order from the BOX Trading Host nor reject the Directed Order back to the OFP who sent it. A Market Maker who desires to accept Directed Orders must systemically indicate that it is an Executing Participant (“EP”) whenever the Market Maker wishes to receive Directed Orders from the BOX Trading Host. If a Market Maker does not systemically indicate that it is an EP, then the BOX Trading Host will not forward any Directed Orders to that Market Maker. In such a case, the BOX Trading Host will send the order directly to the BOX Book.

Other Clarifying Rule Change Relating to Directed Orders

Currently, Chapter V, Section 14(e) of the BOX Rules states that the identity of Options Participants who submit orders to the Trading Host will remain anonymous to market participants at all times, except during error resolution or through the normal clearing process as set forth in Chapter V, Section 16(a)(vi) of the BOX Rules. The BSE proposes to amend Chapter V, Section 14(e) of the BOX Rules and add new Supplementary Material .01 to Chapter V, Section 14(e) to clarify that the Participant ID of an OFP who submits orders to the Trading Host for use in the Directed Order process will be revealed to the Market Maker who receives such Directed Orders as set forth in Chapter VI, Section 5(c) of the BOX Rules.

2. Statutory Basis

The Exchange believes that the proposed rule change, as amended, is designed to clarify the information contained in a Directed Order. This clarification will allow Options Participants to make better informed decisions in determining when and how to use the Directed Order process. Accordingly, the Exchange believes that the proposal is consistent with the requirements of Section 6(b) of the Act,[5]
in general, and Section 6(b)(5) of the Act,[6]
in particular, in that it is designed to foster cooperation and coordination with persons engaged in regulating, clearing, settling, processing information with respect to, and facilitating transaction in securities, to remove impediments to and perfect the mechanism for a free and open market and a national market system, and, in general, to protect investors and the public interest.

B. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

The Exchange does not believe that the proposed rule change will impose any burden on competition not necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of the Act.

C. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants or Others

The Exchange has neither solicited nor received comments on the proposed rule change.

III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for Commission Action

Within 35 days of the date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register or within such longer period (i) as the Commission may designate up to 90 days of such date if it finds such longer period to be appropriate and publishes its reasons for so finding or (ii) as to which BSE consents, the Commission shall: (a) by order approve such proposed rule change, or (b) institute proceedings to determine whether the proposed rule change should be disapproved.

IV. Solicitation of Comments

Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule change, as amended, is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:

Paper Comments

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-BSE-2005-52. This file number should be included on the subject line if e-mail is used. To help the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently, please use only one method. The Commission will post all comments on the Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/​rules/​sro.shtml). Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments, all written statements Start Printed Page 77209with respect to the proposed rule change that are filed with the Commission, and all written communications relating to the proposed rule change between the Commission and any person, other than those that may be withheld from the public in accordance with the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for inspection and copying in the Commission's Public Reference Room. Copies of such filing also will be available for inspection and copying at the principal office of the BOX. All comments received will be posted without change; the Commission does not edit personal identifying information from submissions. You should submit only information that you wish to make available publicly. All submissions should refer to File Number SR-BSE-2005-52 and should be submitted on or before January 19, 2006.

Start Signature

For the Commission, by the Division of Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated authority.[7]

Jonathan G. Katz,

Secretary.

End SignatureEnd Preamble

Footnotes

3.
Amendment No. 1 amends the rule text to include additional language in Chapter V, Section 14(e) of the BOX Rules clarifying that the identities of Options Participants that send Directed Orders to the Trading Host are not anonymous.